Privacy

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how far does alexa dig? (hexbear.net)

submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by hankthetankie@hexbear.net to c/privacy@lemmy.ml

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So , I felt this was kind of interesting. I happened to get an Amazon echo for free that been in it's box for a year. Now I was renovating and had no dum radio /speakers / music available.

Ok lets try might be interesting at least.

Phone GOS no gapps , VPN .

Location EU country A. Both on VPN and irl.

Signup: Fake email , name address, detail and phone number.

Amazon echo extra permissions none, all privacy settings checked. Resettled ad id

Router , 4g teltonika using a sim card from EU country B.

Got it set up and set location to the next town over for local weather updates.

Set language to English / country A

Connected a new Spotify account also same setup fake number fake details.

Played some Spotify. Checked the weather all good.

Morning after l, moved it to a different outlet.

Spotify deactivated " service not available at your location" weather updates still have same town.

Ok lets check some radio , got it going.

Advertisement in country B language.

Curious how it's done. I did speak country B language a bit around it but seems weird to base it on that alone ( none recorded in that language according to history)

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[–] catloaf@lemm.ee 2 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Unless your whole router tunnels over a VPN, it probably geolocated you to country B.

But geolocation databases are inaccurate, and sometimes advertisers target a large area. It might just be a guess.

[–] hankthetankie@hexbear.net 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Router is not on vpn, I am however in Country A , so the geolocation should be country A

[–] catloaf@lemm.ee 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

If the IP address belongs to a network in country B, that's why it would place you there.

[–] hankthetankie@hexbear.net 2 points 1 week ago

Why would it belong to country B? IP is country A

[–] bad_news@lemmy.billiam.net 2 points 1 week ago

Even then, the Alexa device has wifi and bluetooth. It's common these days to use the wifi MAC and whatever the bluetooth equivalent is to resolve location sans GPS. If you don't have all of the perfect optout_nomap_etc strings on your router SSIDs, they can use your own router MAC legally, even, and failing that (if they actually obey the law) they'll just use your neighbor's wifi MAC.